CATHOLIC KIDS BULLETIN

Teacher and mom, THERESA, creates Kids’ Bulletins, a resource for Catholic kids about the readings for Sunday’s Mass every week. More resources from Theresa can be found at Teachers Pay Teachers website. Click on image/text to download entire bulletin for your children.

SERMON WRITER – GOSPEL

Filled with God’s Spirit

By Dr. Carol J Miller

Objects suggested: A cactus or picture of a cactus.

EXCERPT: A cactus is one of the most interesting plants in our world. The first thing you probably notice about a cactus is its sharp spines. The spines protect the cactus from animals that might want to eat it, but the spines also serve another purpose. At night the spines collect dew and that dew helps supply water to the plant. The cactus also gets water from its roots.

Cacti grow in the desert where it is very dry. They are able to grow there because their stems store water. If you were to cut a cactus open you would find a thick slimy substance inside. (Demonstrate this if you have a suitable plant.) The stem of a cactus is mostly water and this allows it to survive through the dry desert seasons.

We can learn more about our Christian faith by comparing a cactus to something Jesus said. He had been in the wilderness for forty days and he ate nothing during that time. He was very hungry and the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread” (4:3).

Sermon Writer: Children’s Sermons – All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan; Click on title to read entire sermon.

ADORERS OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

What to Do When You Talk Bad to Yourself

Do you ever hear words spoken to you that sound like the devil is trying to get you to do things his way, a bad way? Ask them to give examples.

For this sharing and for the next one have a piece of newsprint ready with the universal symbol for “not allowed” drawn on it (large circle drawn with a diagonal slash crossing through it). As they give their examples, write them in the circle so it will become a symbol of the kind of messages that are not from God. Do you ever talk bad to yourself? Do you ever tell yourself you aren’t enough—good enough, smart enough, fast enough.

Do you ever NOT do something good because you tell yourself you won’t do it right or be the best? Let them share examples if they are willing.

Then remind them that those kinds of words that they use against themselves are not God’s words to them. When God speaks in our hearts, it sounds like the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism: “You are my beloved son/daughter. I am really happy with you.” When we talk like that to ourselves and others, we let God encourage us just like God encouraged Jesus.

SOURCE: Children’s Liturgy

SERMONS 4 KIDS – GOSPEL

Resisting Temptation

Objects suggested: A bowl of candy

EXCERPT: There was a bowl of candy like this one sitting on the coffee table in the living room of Mary’s house. Mary’s mother noticed that she was looking at the candy and said, “Now, don’t you eat any candy until after dinner or you will spoil your appetite.” The candy looked so good and the temptation was so great. “Surely just one little piece won’t hurt — and mother will never know the difference,” Mary thought to herself.

Have any of you ever had an experience like that? Here is another story which might sound familiar.

“Put away your books and take out one sheet of paper and a pencil,” the teacher said. “We are going to take our weekly spelling test.” Johnny had an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew that they were going to have a spelling test today, but he watched TV last night instead of studying for the spelling test and he wasn’t ready for the test. As the test began, Johnny looked around the room and realized that he had a clear view of Sally’s paper. “It won’t hurt if I look at Sally’s paper just this once,” Johnny thought to himself. “I promise — I’ll never do it again and nobody will ever know.”

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SOURCE: SERMONS 4 Kids – All Rights Reserved; Click on title to read entire sermon.

SERMON WRITER – GOSPEL

Jesus is Tempted

By Dr. Carol J Miller

Objects suggested: None

EXCERPT: Does anyone know what it means to be “tempted”? [Thank each child for his/her answer].

Yes, tempted means to think about doing something that might not be right or good. If a class is having a spelling test, let’s say, and one of the children did not study the words and isn’t sure how to spell them, what might that child be tempted to do? [Accept all answers].

Have you ever been tempted? Sure, everyone has been tempted. I have been, many times. Let’s see how many in the congregation have been tempted [Ask for a show of hands].

There’s nothing wrong with being tempted. It’s only wrong when you choose to do the wrong thing. If we asked people to raise their hands again, we would see that all of us have done wrong things, probably many times.

Well, in today’s Scripture, the Holy Spirit––that’s another name for God––has sent Jesus out into the desert to think. Jesus needs to think about what he is going to do. He knows that he is special. He knows he has great power. But if he is loyal to God and tells people the truth, some people––some very important people––will be very angry with Jesus.

Sermon Writer: Children’s Sermons – All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan; Click on title to read entire sermon.

rfour.org – GOSPEL

Jesus is Tempted

By Nathanael Vissia

Objects suggested: You’ll need two rubber bands (aka elastic bands).  Preferably, you’ll want the larger post-office type rubber bands for a better visual, but since you’ll be stretching one until it breaks, you don’t want it to be too big/strong because then it’ll sting even more when it snaps.

Lesson is divided into FOUR PARTS: Ask, Tell, Share the Good News, and Closing Prayer

ASK:

• Do you know what the word, “stress” means?
• That’s right! It means the weight or “pressure” of one thing is placed on or “applied to” another thing.
• For example, have you ever taken a rubber band and stretched it and stretched it and stretched it until it broke? [stretch the rubber band as you are talking. Time it so that you stretch it enough that it’ll break right when you say, “broke.”]

READ MORE

TELL:

• In today’s scripture story about Jesus, we hear that Jesus is experiencing quite a bit of stress.
• First, he’s really hungry.  The story says he didn’t eat for 40 days and nights. That’s a long time to not eat, isn’t it? As kids, do not EVER do that, ok?

READ MORE

SOURCE: RFOUR.ORG– This material is the copyrighted property of rfour.org and Nathanael Vissia. It is also free. Please use, improve and share this material. But you may not sell it or require any personal information for it.

Word-Sunday

Hard Choices

Children’s Readings

Opening Question: What does to mean to do your best? Who expects the best from you? Why?

In the story for the first reading, Dennis worked hard over a surprise test. He did his best, as God calls us to do.

READ THE STORY

Like Mrs. Strauss, God expects our best. Moses, the Law Giver, told the Israelites to offer God the first fruits and grains they harvested. This was best they could offer. Sometimes they were tempted to give God less. But he was to be first in their lives. He is first in our lives. And he expects nothing but the best from us.

Bridge Question: What or who helps you make good choices? How do you know when you made the right choice?

In the story for the gospel, three children faced a hard choices over sports, friends and parents. Which one to choose? All three chose love over self interest, just like Jesus did in the desert.

READ THE STORY

Janie, Sal, and Maria eventually chose the same way Jesus did, for the love of others. Janie chose soccer because her parents loved to go to the games. Sal decided to wait for the right kind of friend, the kind of person that makes good friends. And, Maria decided to move with her mother so her mother wouldn’t be alone. In the end, all three felt they made the right choice.

When we say “NO!” to selfishness we make the right choice. It’s the right choice because we choose for others.

Closing Question: Have you ever chosen for others’ good? What happened?

SOURCE: Word-Sunday.com